Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-19
LIFE IN JERUSALEM.
CHRISTIANITY AT ITS WORST, MO-
HAMmEoANISM AT ITS BEST.


count of the state OF Affairs in the Holy
Citv-pestitute Jews from Arabis-The
American Colony.
Rev. 7. F. Wright, who hss returned from
Jerusalem recently, talked with a reporter IN
regard to the condition of affairs there at the
present time.
.Tbe state of religion in Jerusalem is very |
interesting | remained hive weeks In tine
city, and was brought into contact with per-
sons of every class 1t must be confessed
that Christianity is seen at Its worst there,
and Mobammedanism at its best. The Mo |
bammedan in the early morning hears the |
cry: God is great, prayer is better than
sleep.' arises, prepares himself, puts on his |
white outer garment and goes up into the |
mosque ground where Solomon's temple for
merly stood, and there goes through with his |
dsvotions, bowling down before God and ask
ing that he may he guided through the day,
This means to him that he must be strictly
temperate, truthful in every statement, kind
to all men, and that be will i'll no case bow
down to any idol In all Mohammedan lands,
idols images and pictures are utterly ex-
cluded. The single exception To this rule is
an equestrian statue of MeheInet Ali in the
great square of Alexandria in Egypt; and
the erection of this statue was strongly OPP
posed on the grounds that it might become
70 some of the people an object of worship
1.-THE Christians in Jerusalem are in a state
of bitter sectarian conflict. They are not
agreed among themselves as 10 the sacred
sites, and they have more than once come to
bloodshed in acting together in the celebra-
ton of some of the Christian festivals. In
the Cave of the Nativity at Bethlehem, where
a silver star in the pavement marks the plaee
where our Lord is believed to have been
born, Mohammedan soldier of the
Turkish army stands always with loaded
musket to keep the Christian worshipers
from Staying each other. In the
Church of the Holy Sepulcher, in Jeru-
salem the traveller notices at once a group of
Turkish officials who have no interest in the
place and spend their time smoking and
drinking coffee and chatting with each other,
but whose presence is needed to keep the
monks from actual warfare At the time of
Easter the Turkish guards are increased to
whole regiment, so that it is difficult to make
ones way through them to reach the interior
of the church.
VARIOUS RIVAL sECTs.
"In the church the Latin Franciscans al
ternate with the Greek monks in the perfor-
nance of masses, and sometimes simultaneous
masses are performed by priests standing
within few feet of each other The lamps
with which the shrines are decorated have
been apportioned TO the different bodies
Latin Greek, Armenian and Coptic--so that
they may not come INTO conflict in lighting
the place. The greatest and most unpleasant
excitement is reached at the time of the
descending OF the holy fire, which is believed
by the more ignorant to descend from heaven,
and to be received by priest. 1t always
arrives at certain hour of a certain day.
and its arrival is waited for by a crowd
which surrounds the place, waiting for many
hours. When received, every one present
seeks TO light his candle in the fame; and
runners Immediately set forth to every part
of the land, seeking to obtain the prizes which
are offered to those who first arrive at the
outlying villages.
1.-THE bells on the Church of the Holy Sepul-
cher and on the Mount of Olives are rung by
the rival sects, apparently only for the pur,
pose of expressing their unkind feelings
HtNtl SJuilti III LutN never
ring a chime, although they are fitted to do
so, but they continually raise in the ears of
the contemptuous Mohamnedan their IN
pleasant sounds
There is in Jerusalem at the present time
a remarkable American colony, which it was
my privilege carefully to examine About
twenty persons arrived in Jerusalem in the
year 1881, having gone mostly from the city
OF Chicago, where some of their number had
been active Christian workers under Moody
and where they had been led to think thai
they could do more good by going To the Holy
Land. On their way out they received SOM
accessions from England. Among their mum
Der is Mr.. H. J. SpaffOrd, once leading Chi
cago lawyer; another Capt. Sylvester wa
formerly OF the English army; another was
clergyman Of the Church of England, VIII,
visited the Holy Land in company with tn
late Gen. Gordon, and who decided to remain
with these people. another is a venerabl
lady, the widow of a colonel Of the Unite.
States regular army. All are most deepl
interested i'll their work, and share and hav
n common purse, and now have becom
known far and wide through the region be
cause they make no profession of faith, bu
simply acknowledge their allegiance to Chris
and express by constant deeds their desire {
love their neighbors as themselves.
JEWS FROM ARABIA
"When they first arrived i'll Palestine an il
teresting migration of Jews had Just take
place from Arabia. About 300 jews, Gale
Temanites, and believed by themselves to /
the remnant of the tribe OF Cab, had move
from the desert in which the tribe had Ion
had its home, and had come to the Holy Lane
They are small in stature, delicate in fes
lures. wholly free from the money changin
disposition, grateful for every kindness, an
eminently childlike in their characters The
were lying, when the Americans arrived, /
the fields outside of the city with no one I
care for them. The Americans immediatel
began to prepare daily rations of soup fc
them, to tend the sick and in every way I
watch over them according to their ahilit,
At the present time the Temanites have e
tabiished themselves in prosperous colon
south of the village Of Sloan, and in the
synagogue every week they have prayer
which Horatio Spafford and his friends al
mentioned, and the divine blessing is invoke
upon them for their many good deeds.
1.-THE house of these Americans is dali
visited by persons coming from all parts
the land. to inquire into this wonderful ph
nomenon. The Bedouins of the desert lee
their tall spears against the wall, and a
cordially welcomed, and occupya room |
the house as long as they desire to remail
and the Americans, going fearlessly aero
the Jordan, have returned these visits al
been received with the utmost kindness, al
have had an influence over the lives Of Il
Bedouins They deal especially with Il
Adwan tribe, long known to be Il
fercest class east of the Jordan The fell
hin, or peasant class of the country, find
ways here a cordial welcome No evenil
passes without seeing its company of po
and rich, of peasants and Turkish efend
gathered in the salon, to listen to the hymn
which the Americans sweetly sing; al
every one, on leaving the room, expresses
gratitude for what he has come to regard
the greatest comfort of his life In this w,
Mohammedans and all classes in Jerusale
are reached for good, and lesson Is taug
us in regard to the spirit in which Christi
missions should he ca ried Oh, Boston A
ve-tis-r IitersI-w
The Trustworthy American Girl.
The innate sense of propriety of a VI
bred and well iutapfiCnaJ arpor;oa,, rv,,J